Sponge rubber soap holder



May 9, 1933. H. c. HEBIG 1,908,017

`SPONGE RUBBER SOAP HOLDER Filed NOV. 11, 1929 @mils/wm ATTORN EYSPatented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY C. HEBIG, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., ASS-16x03 T0 EIHUND QINGY MOSES, 0l'

' NEW YGRX, N. Y., AB TRUSTEE I sroNaE numana soar nomma Application ledNovember 11, 1929. Serial No. 408,489.

This invention relates to a device for Washing, and more particularly tothe combination with :a cake of soap, of a holder and scrubbing memberremovably attached thereto.

Figure 1 is a cross section through the cake of soap having oneembodiment of the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the soap and lolding and ,s scrubbing membershown in Figlire 3 is a transverse sectional view of a modification;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View of the sponge rubber member forreceiving the cake of soap, having the elastic band attached thereto inmodified manner, the device being shown before application to the soap;and

Fi 1re 5 is a transverse sectional view showlng the device of Fig. 4,applied toa cake `of soap.

The soap and holder maybe attached in any suitable manner; for instance,by providing the cake of soap with a groove into which fits an elasticrubber ring attached to the sponge rubber member. In theusual manner ofuse the sponge rubber or simil-ar material is grasped by the hand andthe soap applied to the body. The device is then reversed in the handvand the body scrubbed with the sponge rubber. When the cake of soap isworn out the sponge rubber member may be applied to another cake ofsoap, or the cake l'of lsoap may be reversed and the other side used.The soap may have two grooves, so that the sponge rubber may be readilyattached by means of the second groove if the first groove is worn downas the cake of soap 40 is partly used up. The second groove alsofacilitates the reversal of the cake.

In the figures. 1 designates the cake of soap provided with'thecircumferential grooves 2 r and 3. 4 is the sponge rubber member prefer-J ably porous throughout and on both surfaces, and having indentedtherein or attached thereto a securing member 5 preferably in the formof a ring of elastic rubber.

As a modification, a sponge rubber ring may be applied around theperiphery of the cake of soap, leaving both sides of the soap exposed,the sponge rubber member being used to prevent the soa from slipping outof the hand. This modi cation is illustrated in Fig. 3, the spongerubber ring being designated by the numeral 6 and being provided withelastic or other retaining ring 7.

Fig. 4 shows the sponge rubber member before application to the cake ofsoap and having an elastic rubber retaining rlng 8 60 cemented orotherwise suitably secured to the inner surface of the sponge rubberportion, and Fig. 5 shows a sponge rubber member having a retaining ringthus attached on the inside and after expansion and application 65 tothe cake of soap. From an inspection of Fig. 4 in connection with Figure5, it will be noted that when the sponge rubber holder is applied to thecake of soap, said holder is stretched to a very considerable extent,that is, from its relatively small contracted condition, as illustratedin Fig. 4 to its relatively Widely expanded condition in Fig. 5. Thisresults in corresponding substantial tension of the holder across theback face of the cake of soap, While leaving substantially the entirefront face thereof exposed for contact with the body of the user. Thetensioning of the holder alsogives it the capability of graduallycontracting to follow in the shrinkage or reduction in size of thecakeof soap incident to washing action. This exposure of the face, desirablyoutwardly beyond the edges of the holder, is maintained at all timesbecause of the tension of the holder referred to, which causes acontracting action of the holder rearwardly towards and across the backface of the cake of soap. Owing to this action the holder cannot becomeloose or baggy, but maintains a hugging and facewise engagement at alltimes with the cake of soap, nor is it possible for the holder toswallow up. so to speak, or enclose the cake in such fashion as to causeAthe front face thereof to occupy a position Within the holder renderingit impossible to contact the soap directly with the body of the user.

The foregoing is to be distinguished from any such article as where thesponge rubber material is unstretched or normally loose and 100 cs, ableof bag ng, o r where the sponge ru ber is mereylf held in place at somelocalized relatively small zone leaving the main body of the spongerubber free and under no compelling iniuence to adjust itself in keepingwith the shrinkage of the cake of soap to maintain a close grip on andfirm facial engagement with the cake of soap where the sponge rubberoverlies the same. Further, when the sponge rubber is stretched, ascontemplated by the present invention, a much better scrubbing actionmay be obtained than where the sponge rubber is free or unstretched. Thestretching also, of course, facilitates the opening of the pores of thesponge rubber adjacent the back of the cake of soap over which theholder lies, thus lending to a freer and quicker passage of the soapinto the holder and the creation of suds with the moisture in thelatter. Still further, the completed article lends itself to sanita tionbecause of the porosity of the holder throughout its entire area, asdistinguished from any closely confining impervious envelope or casingthat is not exposed to Water or washing action and, therefore, leavesdark, conned, unventilated and unwashable lportions interiorly of thearticle.

As shown in Fig. 4 the sponge rubber member may be made of portions 9and 10 cemented or otherwise joined together and such portions may be ofdifferent. textures or contrasting colors.

While the present specification illustrates and describes in detailcertain preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood thatchanges may be made therein and the invention may be embodied in otherstructures. The invention, therefore, is not limit'd to the specificconstructions illustrated.

What I claim is 1. An article of manufacture comprising a sponge rubberholder and washing member adapted to be connected to and carried by acake of soap having a circumferentially extending shoulder, said memberadapted to extend over one face of the cake of soap and around the edgethereof and fitted over said shoulder to retain the same in place, theopposite face of the cake of soap and the shoulder being so related thatsaid face will project outwardly beyond the edges of the sponge rubbermember to facilitate direct contact of the soap with the body of theuser, the edge of the sponge rubber member having a highly contractibleelastic means adapted to maintain irm engagement of the sponge rubbermember with the cake of soap, while permittlng reduction in size of thelatter incldent to shrinkage under washing action.

2. As an article ofmanufacture, a sponge rubber holder and washingmember adapted to be connected to and carried by a cake of soap having acircumferential shoulder, said member adapted to be tensioned over oneface of the cake of soap and intertted with said shoulder to retain thesponge rubber member in place, the tension of the sponge rubber memberbeing adapted as the cake of soap shrinks under washing action tocontract towards and over said face to prevent bagging of said member orprotrusion thereof beyond the opposite face of the cake of soap wherebythe latter is left exposed for contact with the body of the user.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a porous, resilient holder andwashing member adapted to be connected to and carried by a cake of soaphaving a peripheral groove, said member being adapted to be stretchedover one face of the cake of soap and around the edge thereof, theopposite face of the cake of soap being projected and exposed beyond theedge of said porous member, and a highly contractible band associatedwith the edge of the porous member drawing the same into closeconfinement with the grooved portion of the cake of soap whereby thecontractibility of the stretched porous member and of said band willcause the holder to follow the shrinkage of the cake of soap incident towashing while maintaining close contact of the holder and cake of soapover the covered face and edge of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my 9 signature to thisspecification.

HENRY C. HEBIG.

